Poor, Hungry and Stupid: Numeracy and the Impact of High Food Prices in Industrializing Britain, 1780-1850

This paper argues that low levels of nutrition impaired cognitive development in industrializing England, and that welfare transfers mitigated the adverse effects of high food prices. Age heaping is used as an indicator of numeracy, as derived from census data. For the cohorts from 1780-1850, we analyse the effect of high grain prices during the Napoleonic Wars. We show that numeracy declined markedly for those born during the war years, especially when wheat was dear. Crucially, where the Old Poor Law provided for generous relief payments, the adverse impact of high prices for foodstuffs was mitigated. Finally, we show some tentative evidence that Englishmen born in areas with low income support selected into occupations with lower cognitive requirements.

Análise cladística da tribo Rhopalophorini Blanchard, 1845 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)

Rhopalophorini is primarily a New World group. Of the 23 known genera, 19 were described from the Neotropical region. A cladistic analysis of the American genera was carried out with 91 morphological characters. The genera Ozodes Audinet-Serville and Lissozodes Bates, recently transferred to Necydalopsini, were included in the analysis in order to investigate their relationships with the Rhopalophorini. The results suggested that their shared similarities with the Rhopalophorini are symplesiomorphies at the level considered in the analysis, so they are maintained in Necydalopsini, and Neozodes Zajciw, indicated as the sister group of Ozodes, is herein transferred to this tribe. In the same way, Elaphopsis Audinet-Serville is transferred to Ibidionini. Rhopalophorini, as defined in the present work, is a monophyletic group and includes 17 American genera. Within Rhopalophorini, Argyrodines + Parozodes constitute the basalmost group, and Cycnoderus is the sister group of the two major clades formed, one by Ischionodonta, Disaulax, Cosmisoma, Closteropus and Gurubira, and the other, by Rhopalophora, Coremia, Merocoremia, Dirocoremia, Thalusia and Lathusia; the relationships of Rhopalophorella, Rhopalina and Muxbalia remain inconclusive. A phylogenetic classification of Rhopalophorini at the genus level is proposed.

Lettres de la marquise Du Deffand à Horace Walpole, écrites dans les années 1766 à 1780 : auxquelles sont jointes des lettres de Mme Du Deffand à Voltaire, écrites dans les années 1759 à 1775, publiées d'après les originaux déposés à Strawberry-Hill. Tome 1

Collection : Bibliothèque des mémoires pendant le XVIIIe siècle

Lettres de la marquise Du Deffand à Horace Walpole, écrites dans les années 1766 à 1780 : auxquelles sont jointes des lettres de Mme Du Deffand à Voltaire, écrites dans les années 1759 à 1775, publiées d'après les originaux déposés à Strawberry-Hill. Tome 2

Collection : Bibliothèque des mémoires pendant le XVIIIe siècle

Poor, hungry and ignorant: Numeracy and the impact of high food prices in industrializing Britain, 1780-1850

This paper uses the ability to recall one s age correctly as an indicator of numeracy.We show that low levels of nutrition impaired numeracy in industrializing England, 1780-1850.Numeracy declined markedly among those born during the war years, especially where wheatwas dear. England s nascent welfare state mitigated the negative effect of high food prices oncognitive skills. Nutrition during early development mattered for labor market outcomes:individuals born in periods or countries with high age heaping were more likely to sort intooccupations with limited intellectual requirements.